Exploring the landscape of symptom-specific inflammatory cytokines in post-COVID syndrome patients.

Introduction: Post-COVID syndrome (PCS) is characterized by a polymorphism of symptoms with hypothetical pathophysiological mechanisms. Here, we aimed to analyze the profile of inflammatory cytokines in patients with PCS and to study the relationship between this profile, the clinical symptoms as well as the endothelial function in PCS.

Methods: Our analytical study involved all eligible patients (n = 66) with PCS included from April 2021 to December 2021.

Immunogenicity and Tolerance of BNT162b2 mRNA Vaccine in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Patients.

Background: Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) induces acquired immunodeficiency, potentially altering vaccine response. Herein, we aimed to explore the clinical tolerance and the humoral and cellular immune responses following anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in ASCT recipients.

Methods: A prospective, non-randomized, controlled study that involved 43 ASCT subjects and 31 healthy controls.

Immunogenicity of Mix-and-Match CoronaVac/BNT162b2 Regimen versus Homologous CoronaVac/CoronaVac Vaccination: A Single-Blinded, Randomized, Parallel Group Superiority Trial.

(1) Background: This study aimed to compare the immunogenicity of the mix-and-match CoronaVac/BNT162b2 vaccination to the homologous CoronaVac/CoronaVac regimen. (2) Methods: We conducted a simple-blinded randomized superiority trial to measure SARS-CoV-2 neutralization antibodies and anti-spike receptor binding domain (RBD) IgG concentrations in blood samples of participants who had received the first dose of CoronaVac vaccine followed by a dose of BNT162b2 or CoronaVac vaccine. The primary endpoint for immunogenicity was the serum-neutralizing antibody level with a percentage of inhibition at 90% at 21-35 days after the boost.

Imaging Antigens in Experimentally Infected Macrophages and Dermal Scrapings from Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Lesions in Tunisia.

Leishmania major cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) lesions are characterized by an intense process of parasite destruction and antigen processing that could limit microscopic amastigote detection. The aim of our study was to develop a direct immunofluorescence (DIF) assay for in situ visualization of L. major antigens and access its reliability in the routine diagnosis of CL.

Use of Immunomagnetic Separation tool in Leishmania promastigotes capture.

Immunomagnetic Separation (IMS) assay has been used for isolation of viable whole organisms. The objective of our work is to produce anti-Leishmania magnetic beads and to assess the efficiency of the IMS technique on Leishmania promastigote capture in culture media. Polyclonal anti-Leishmania antibodies were produced by intravenous injection of viable metacyclic promastigotes of Leishmania (L.

Diagnosis of Mediterranean visceral leishmaniasis by detection of Leishmania-related antigen in urine and oral fluid samples.

Implementation of simple diagnostic tests using non-invasive collection of biological specimens is of great importance in the diagnosis of pediatric visceral leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum. Latex agglutination kit (KAtex) is widely used in the diagnosis mainly in L. donovani endemic areas.

The sera from adult patients with suggestive signs of autoimmune diseases present antinuclear autoantibodies that cross-react with Leishmania infantum conserved proteins: crude Leishmania histone and Soluble Leishmania antigens [corrected].

Visceral leishmaniasis has been associated with hyper-gammaglobulinemia and antinuclear antibodies and may simulate systemic lupus erythematosus. Sera from patients with visceral leishmaniasis have been shown to strongly react against conserved proteins from the parasite, such as ribosomal and histones. Some of these proteins have also been described as immunogenic in several auto-immune syndromes, and the detection of antibodies against them is considered to be indicative of disorder in the immune system.

Hd86 mRNA expression profile in Hyalomma scupense life stages, could it contribute to explain anti-tick vaccine effect discrepancy between adult and immature instars?

Bm86 midgut protein has been used in order to control ticks of the Hyalomma genus. Previous studies demonstrated the inefficacity of this antigen in the control of Hyalomma scupense, whereas recombinant Hd86 antigen, the Bm86 ortholog in H. scupense produced in Pichia pastoris, was protective against larval H.

Contribution of specific anti-hydatid IgG subclasses in the diagnosis of echinococcosis primary infection and relapses.

Background: Serological diagnosis of hydatid disease still faces problems of sensitivity, limiting its use to either diagnosis or post-surgical monitoring. The use of IgG subclasses seems to overcome these difficulties. The contribution of IgG subclasses was evaluated in the diagnosis of primary infested and hydatid cyst relapse patients.

Efficacy of Hyalomma scupense (Hd86) antigen against Hyalomma excavatum and H. scupense tick infestations in cattle.

The Rhipicephalus microplus recombinant Bm86-based tick vaccines have shown their efficacy for the control of several Hyalomma cattle ticks genera, namely H. dromedarii and H. anatolicum.

Molecular characterization of Bm86 gene orthologs from Hyalomma excavatum, Hyalomma dromedarii and Hyalomma marginatum marginatum and comparison with a vaccine candidate from Hyalomma scupense.

The ixodid ticks from the Hyalomma genus are important pests of livestock, having major medical and veterinary significance in Northern Africa. Beside their direct pathogenic effects, these species are vectors of important diseases of livestock and in some instances of zoonoses. Anti-tick vaccines developed in Australia and Cuba based on the concealed antigen Bm86 have variable efficacy against H.

Hd86, the Bm86 tick protein ortholog in Hyalomma scupense (syn. H. detritum): expression in Pichia pastoris and analysis of nucleotides and amino acids sequences variations prior to vaccination trials.

The genus Hyalomma includes the most frequent tick species infesting livestock in North Africa, one of these species, Hyalomma scupense (syn. H. detritum) is particularly important due to its role in the transmission of tropical theileriosis to cattle (Theileria annulata infection).

Diagnosis of mediterranean visceral leishmaniasis by detection of leishmania antibodies and leishmania DNA in oral fluid samples collected using an Oracol device.

Current methods for diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) require invasive sampling procedures such as visceral aspiration and/or blood drawing. The use of diagnostic tests using oral fluid, which is easier to collect, would be more simple and practical for VL diagnosis, especially under field conditions. Oral fluids from 37 VL patients and 40 healthy controls were collected using Oracol devices.

ELISA on saliva samples for the detection of anti-hydatid cyst antibodies.

Background: The detection of antibodies in saliva samples proved to be effective in the diagnosis of several microbial diseases. These antibodies were screened in saliva samples of patients with hydatid cysts.

Methods: Anti-hydatid fluid antigen IgG and IgA antibodies were screened in saliva and sera of patients with hydatid cysts (n=37) as well as in healthy controls (n=30) using an in-house developed immunoenzymatic assay.